The council has been accused of failing to preserve the history of Reading at the former cemetery.
The Old Cemetery in East Reading was the municipal burial place for the people of the town for years, holding 18,327 burials, until it was changed in favour of the Henley Road Cemetery in Caversham in 1927.
But Reading Borough Council has been accused of failing to preserve it properly.
The topic was raised during a question and answer session at a policy committee meeting on September 16.
Councillor Josh Williams (Green, Park) said: “Reading Old Cemetery has been neglected through lack of care and poor maintenance of its historic listed buildings and its monuments.
“Historic England are considering placing it on their ‘at risk’ register.
All the Bs of Reading are in the Cemetery.
“The Suttons, the Collier and Wheeler family famous for bricks, and Simonds famous for beer.
“Edith Mary Sutton is there, the first woman to become a councillor in England, and the first female mayor of Reading.
“There is an international footballer, Charles Wollaston, along with the first
ever registrar of Reading University, the Rev Francis Henry Wright, and so many of our fallen heroes from across the wars.”
He also mentions victims of poverty and workhouses are buried at the cemetery, as well as Young Willie Wimmera, from Australia, and Lucy May Owindia, from Canada, two indigenous children who died in Reading.
Cllr Williams continued: “Sadly, that history and heritage is being eroded,
as the Council lays down any monuments it deems unsafe, and has no plans in
place for the preservation of the graves, the monuments, or the stories they tell about Reading’s past.
“Will the council pledge to put in place a Historical Management Plan to sit
alongside the existing Environmental Management Plan for the cemetery, to ensure this history is preserved as best it can be for future generations?”
Replying, Jacopo Lanzoni (Labour, Caversham), lead councillor for culture, said: “I really disagree with the [suggestion] that the council is failing to preserve Reading’s heritage.
“On this side of the room [Labour], we are very proud of the town and it’s heritage, and we do everything we can to preserve it and make it available and accessible to our residents and we are very proud of what we are achieving.
“I recognise the intention behind the suggestion of a dedicated Historical
Management Plan and the desire to preserve and promote the many stories
represented within the cemetery.
“However, the development of a standalone plan would require detailed surveys, specialist heritage assessments and additional resources, all of which would need to be carefully considered alongside the council’s wider priorities.
“More broadly, I believe there is value in considering the future role of Reading Old Cemetery as a whole.
“The cemetery today serves a number of purposes: it is a place of remembrance, a historic landscape, an important ecological asset and a public open space.
“Balancing these different functions is not always straightforward.
“For these reasons, rather than committing to a separate Historical Management Plan at this stage, I believe it is more appropriate that future reviews of the cemetery’s management arrangements continue to consider how best to balance heritage, biodiversity, public safety, accessibility and community use.
“Our objective should be to ensure that Reading Old Cemetery remains a respectful, safe and sustainable place of remembrance, with its rich history recognised and appreciated by future generations.”
